First Inter-Party Government

Government of the 13th Dáil
5th Government of Ireland
Date formed	18 February 1948
Date dissolved	13 June 1951
People and organisations
Head of government	John A. Costello
Deputy head of government	William Norton
Head of state	Seán T. O'Kelly
Total no. of ministers	12
Member parties	Fine Gael Labour Party Clann na Poblachta Clann na Talmhan National Labour Party
Status in legislature	Coalition
Opposition leader	Éamon de Valera (Fianna Fáil)
History
Election(s)	1948 general election
Legislature term(s)	13th Dáil
Predecessor	4th Government of Ireland
Successor	6th Government of Ireland

The 13th Dáil was elected at the 1948 general election on 4 February 1948 and first met on 18 February when the 5th Government of Ireland was appointed. The 13th Dáil lasted for 1,211 days.

The 5th Government of Ireland (18 February 1948 – 13 June 1951) – or more commonly the First Inter-Party Government – is the name given to the government which led Ireland from 1948 to 1951. The government was made up of a number of political parties including Fine Gael, the Labour Party, Clann na Poblachta, Clann na Talmhan and the National Labour Party – and one TD who was (at least in theory) an independent – James Dillon (who had resigned from Fine Gael after opposing their neutral stance in World War II). It was the first change of government since 1932. The parties had many different aims and viewpoints, but a united dislike of Fianna Fáil overcame all difficulties in forming a government. The Cabinet was made up of representatives of all parties and ministers were given a great degree of independence. Some key events during the lifetime of the government include the declaration of the Republic of Ireland in 1949 and the crisis surrounding the "Mother and Child Scheme" in 1951.

Fianna Fáil had ruled uninterrupted since 1932 with Éamon de Valera as prime minister (titled as President of the Executive Council of the Irish Free State until 1937 and since then as Taoiseach). However, the 1948 general election left the party six seats short of a majority. Negotiations for confidence and supply with the National Labour Party failed when National Labour insisted on a formal coalition; at the time, Fianna Fáil would not enter coalitions with other parties. At first, it seemed that de Valera would attempt to govern alone in a minority government. Fianna Fáil had 37 more seats than the next-biggest party, Fine Gael, and thus appeared to be the only party that could possibly form a government.

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